


The Real Park Minhyuk

by InterstellarBlue (nagi_schwarz)



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 01:21:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21128450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagi_schwarz/pseuds/InterstellarBlue
Summary: Bin just kissed a random handsome boy named Park Minhyuk, and it's all Dongmin's fault.





	The Real Park Minhyuk

Bin was almost six feet tall. He was slender, but he was lean and strong from years of dancing. He was pretty sure he could hold his own in a fight.

But the dozen girls clustered around him looked ready to tear him to shreds if he said the wrong thing.

“Look,” he said, “I  _ promise _ I’m not trying to date Dongmin.”

“You said you like boys,” one of the girls said.

“I like boys  _ and _ girls,” Bin clarified. “Not that it’s really any of your business.”

“If you like boys, why wouldn’t you like Dongmin-oppa?” another girl demanded.

Bin wasn’t oblivious to how handsome Dongmin was. He literally looked like he’d stepped off the pages of a romance comic. But he and Dongmin shared the same worst traits - impatience, hot-headedness - and they fought quickly and often. Also, Bin’s ideal type was someone who was a good dancer, and Dongmin was...not. Maybe with some training, but - no.

However, Dongmin was still Bin’s friend, and Bin wasn’t about to make a list of Dongmin’s inadequacies for these girls to obsess over.

“Because Dongmin is just my friend. Yes I like boys, but I can also have boys who are friends.”

“No one could be just friends with Oppa.” The girl closest to Bin lifted her chin defiantly.

“Well, I am,” Bin said.

“Prove it.” The crowd of girls surged closer.

Bin tightened his grip on the strap of his backpack. If he threw it at them, they’d back off, but one of them could get hurt, and hurting a girl was terrible, even if, with their overwhelming numbers, he was at a major combat disadvantage. If only he’d stuck it out in taekwondo for more than a month. He cast a desperate look around him and -

There, coming around the corner, was a handsome boy in a school uniform Bin didn’t recognize, which meant he wasn’t from this neighborhood and chances were none of the girls would know him.

“Well, I do, in fact, have a boyfriend, so obviously I wouldn’t try to be dating Dongmin.” Bin skirted around the crowd of girls toward the boy, heart racing.

He scanned the boy’s uniform, and - yes! He had his name tag on his jacket.

Bin called out, “Park Minhyuk!”

The boy turned to him, startled.

Bin was in front of him in an instant. “I missed you all day,” he said. “Text messages and selcas just aren’t the same.”

“What -?”

“Just go with it, please,” Bin begged in a whisper.

“Go with what?” Minhyuk asked, wide-eyed.

Bin leaned in and said, barely above a breath, “I’m so sorry,” and he kissed Minhyuk on the mouth.

Bin felt the other boy freeze against him, and he put a hand on Minhyuk’s arm, patted him tentatively, and then - 

Then a hand settled on Bin’s hip, and another hand curled around the back of his neck, and soft warm lips moved over his, and -

Those hands shoved Bin back.

He stood there with his eyes closed, a shiver running down his spine.

His first kiss. It had been soft, gentle, and perfect.

“The girls are gone now.”

Bin’s eyes snapped open, and he remembered where he was and what was going on.

“I’m so sorry,” Bin said to Minhyuk, whose ears were turning pink.

Up close, Minhyuk was handsome indeed, with a wide mouth and bright eyes.

“I know it’s so wrong to kiss someone without their permission, but I had to do it. Please don’t mistake me -”

“I have to go. I’m late for hagwon.” Minhyuk ducked around him and hurried away.

“I’m sorry!” Bin called after him. “I’ll make it up to you!”

He started after the other boy, intent on getting his number or email address or something so he could apologize better, but then his foot slipped and he stumbled, arms windmilling as he fought for balance.

When he frighted himself, he looked down and saw that he’d stepped on something small and metallic. He leaned down and peered at it.

It was a flash drive. He picked it up, hoping he hadn’t broken it. After a brief inspection, he figured it was all right, but he’d take it home and check it later to make sure. His school had a rule - all flash drives had to have an “if found” file on them with students’ basic contact information. Other schools probably had similar rules, right? If not, he could take a picture of it and post it on his SNS with a description of where and when he found it and see if anyone recognized it.

“You’re going to be late,” Dongmin said, hurrying up the sidewalk toward him.

Bin looked up at him. “You mean  _ we’re _ going to be late.” They had piano hagwon together tonight. “By the way, my life is a disaster, and it’s all your fault.” He went to catch up with Dongmin, fall into step beside him.

Dongmin cast him a sharp look. “You know how the rankings work. There can only be one number one.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Bin said.

“Then what?”

Bin wasn’t going to tell Dongmin that he’d kissed a total stranger - albeit a very handsome one - just to protect himself from Dongmin’s rabid fans. It wasn’t like Dongmin was an idol.

He could have been, had been offered a chance to audition for a company once, but he’d declined, because he had Serious Goals and wanted to be a prosecutor.

A prosecutor who was also a concert-grade pianist, proficient in the flute and violin, and also fluent in English. He had hagwon for something different every night of the week, including Sundays, and it was a wonder he hadn’t dropped dead.

Bin thought he ought to feel more guilty about being a bit of a disappointment to his parents by being a mostly mediocre student and only a better-than-average pianist and excelling at the one thing they didn’t care for, which was dance. In his defense, he hadn’t much liked dance as a kid, but his mother had signed him up for dance lessons because his sister wanted them and it was easier to have them both take lessons at the same place.

“Your fangirls are crazy,” was all Bin said, and he let Dongmin hustle him up the stairs to the piano practice room.

*

Bin was tired after hagwon ended, but he knew better than to let himself fall asleep on the bus, lest he end up riding the circuit from hagwon to home around and around all night and make his parents worry. Of course, Dongmin always called him to make sure he made it home safe (he also called to make sure Bin got up in the morning and that he didn’t fall asleep on the morning bus either and, okay, it made sense that Dongmin’s fangirls might think they were dating, if they’d seen Bin’s call history - but not Dongmin’s, because Dongmin was also the morning call for at least three other people besides Bin).

But Bin had slept through his phone ringing before, even if he’d changed the settings so Dongmin’s calls vibrated extra hard and had a really loud ringtone.

So Bin climbed onto his usual bus, found a seat against a window so he could lean on it, and did his best to keep himself awake. He recited in his head the new musical theory they’d drilled tonight, and he did some of his finger exercises, and he even played air piano, working on the new song he’d been assigned, squinting at his sheet music in the flashing street lights as the bus went by.

Still, Bin was tired, and eventually he rested his head against the window and thought about his day.

And that kiss. His first kiss.

His first awful kiss, which he’d sprung on a total stranger out of pure desperation.

(A really cute stranger.)

(This was all Dongmin’s fault. Or his parents’ fault, for having such a genius combination of DNA. Dongmin wasn’t the high school’s face genius for nothing.)

His first perfect kiss, because Park Minhyuk was handsome, and his lips had been warm and soft, and if Bin closed his eyes he could feel the other boy’s hands on him, the tilt of his head.

Bin was a monster. He’d invaded someone else’s personal space and forced a kiss on him. 

He buried his face in his hands and groaned. His life really was a disaster. 

When the bus arrived at Bin’s stop, he thanked the bus driver and hopped off, then started up the hill toward home. 

He was just putting in the code to unlock the front door when his phone buzzed heavily in his pocket. 

DingDongMin was calling. 

Bin answered quietly as he opened the front door.  “Hello.”

“Are you home?”

Bin kicked off his shoes and toed on his house slippers. “I am. You?”

“Yes. Are you done being angry at me for no reason?”

Bin sighed and crept up the stairs to his room. “Yes.”

“Good. See you tomorrow.” And Dongmin hung up. 

Bin was always the last home because Sooah’s hagwon was closer, so he did his best to stay quiet as he showered. Before he cracked open his textbooks, he made sure he had a clean and neat uniform for the next day. While he was hanging up his blazer, he felt something in the pocket. He frowned and fished it out - and remembered it as soon as he saw it. 

The lost flash drive. 

He plopped down at his desk and fired up his laptop, then plugged it in. 

There was only one file on it, a video file.  _ Three-in-one.mp4. _

Bin stared at the file icon for a long time. 

“This better not get me into trouble,” he said, took a deep breath, and clicked on it. 

The video opened up, and there was Park Minhyuk standing somewhere with a pure white backdrop. He looked pretty swag in white jeans and sneakers and a red hoodie with a black-and-red checkered flannel shirt tied at his waist.

The video zoomed out slowly and music started play, and two more boys joined Minhyuk in the scene. It took Bin a moment to realize that the other two boys were also Minhyuk. The title of the video made sense now. He’d filmed himself three times and edited it so it looked like three versions of him were all together. If he’d edited it himself, that was pretty impressive.

Well, Bin knew who the flash drive belonged to. If he went back to the corner where he’d found it, he’d see Minhyuk going to hagwon and he could return it - and also apologize.

Bin went to stop the video and unplug the flash drive, but the music ramped up, and - wow.

Bin was in love.

Minhyuk times three was the perfect dance crew. The way he moved was a stunning combination of sharpness and smoothness. He had breathtaking control over his own body, and he used it well. Had he choreographed this himself? Filming himself three times was the perfect choice, because then the synchronization and angles were identical for each dancer.

Bin watched the video again and again and again. It was less than two minutes long. First he had to watch Minhyuk in the center a dozen times, then on the left, and then on the right.

He was definitely in love.

And he’d screwed it up before he even had a chance to confess.

Bin groaned and buried his face in his arms. Then, because he was going to hell anyway for kissing Minhyuk without permission, he made a copy of the video and saved it to his desktop, and then he unplugged the flash drive and shut down his laptop.

He’d give it back, he’d bring some treats and beg for forgiveness, and then he’d probably never see Park Minhyuk ever again.

*

Bin knew he’d be late for his dance hagwon, but he had to return the flash drive and make a proper apology, so he stationed himself on the corner near the piano hagwon with the flash drive and also a bag of MyChews in assorted flavors and waited for Minhyuk to arrive.

Which he did, after a few minutes. He wasn’t wearing his uniform today, instead looked mouthwateringly good in basketball shorts and a tank top, his gym bag strap slung across his torso.

Bin cleared his throat. “Good evening,” he said.

Minhyuk looked at him, raised his eyebrows. “Hello,” he said, warily.

Understandably, given that Bin had basically assaulted him the night before. Bin reached into his pocket for the flash drive. He held out the bag of MyChews and took a deep breath, ready to deliver the apology he’d composed and memorized on the bus ride over. “I just wanted to say -”

A girl in an unfamiliar school uniform came hurrying around the corner and grabbed Minhyuk’s arm. “Minnie-oppa! I missed you all day!”

Bin’s heart sank. Minhyuk had a girlfriend. Of course he did. He was handsome and talented.

When he smiled lovingly at his girlfriend and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, he was beautiful.

“Oppa missed you too, Yoojung,” he said. Then he looked at Bin. “What was it you wanted to say to me?”

His gaze was cool and unimpressed.

Bin knew talking to strangers was just not really done. Kissing strangers was worse.

“I just wanted to apologize,” Bin stammered. He held out the bag of MyChews.

Minhyuk raised his eyebrows. “Apologize for what?”

Bin swallowed hard. He didn’t want to tell Yoojung that he’d kissed her boyfriend.

“I’ll tell you later. I’m going to be late for hagwon.” Bin shoved the bag of candy into Minhyuk’s hands and fled.

His heart was still pounding when he collapsed into a seat at the back of the bus that went to his dance hagwon. That was as close to total humiliation as he had been in a while.

Or was his heart breaking?

Bin closed his eyes and forced himself to take deep breaths and did his best not to picture Minhyuk times three dancing to that really cool Usher song.

Bin was halfway into his dance practice clothes when he remembered - he’d forgotten to return the flash drive.

He’d catch Minhyuk alone tomorrow night and get down on his knees and grovel for forgiveness. He’d caused the poor boy enough trouble as it was.

This really wasn’t Dongmin’s fault. It was all Bin’s.

*

Because Bin was truly penitent, he stayed up late the night before making dasik tea cookies to bring this time, and he tied them up prettily in bright fabric with the flash drive tucked in with them to make sure he returned it.

Then he stationed himself on the corner near his piano hagwon and waited, and sure enough, there was Minhyuk, heading up the sidewalk with a stack of books clutched to his chest. He was wearing his jeans and a t-shirt today, and he was as handsome as ever.

Bin cleared his throat. “Is your girlfriend meeting you tonight?”

Minhyuk looked at him, affronted. “Excuse me?”

“Because I didn’t want to say this in front of her and cause you any trouble,” Bin said. “I’m so, so sorry about what I did.”

Minhyuk took a step back. “I think you have me mixed up with someone else.”

Bin winced. “I know after what I did you must be upset. I deeply, deeply apologize.” He bowed low and held out the container of cookies.

“I think you have me mixed up with someone else,” Minhyuk said again, a sharp edge to his tone.

Bin peeked up at him. “Please forgive me.” He was ready to fling himself on the ground and beg. “I truly feel terrible. I’ll do anything to make up for it.”

“Really,” Minhyuk said, backing up. “There’s been some kind of mistake.”

Bin bowed his head lower. “The mistake was all mine. It’s all my fault.”

And then Minhyuk said, “Hey, Dongseng, how did your quiz go?”

“Just fine,” he answered himself. “Hyung, do you know this guy?”

Minhyuk said, “Oh, hey. I saw him here last night. He had something to say to me, but then he ran away.”

Bin lifted his head, confused. 

And saw two versions of Minhyuk standing in front of him, the first one in the jeans and t-shirt, the second in another tank top and basketball shorts.

Twins, Bin realized. He straightened up, clutching the container of cookies tightly. “O-oh. I didn’t realize -”

“You’re not from around here, so you didn’t know,” the one in jeans said, eyeing Bin’s uniform.

“I didn’t.” Bin held the container out to the real Minhyuk. “I didn’t want to say it in front of your girlfriend, but - I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I was in a desperate situation but it was still an awful thing to do to you. I promise I’ll never do it again. To anyone.”

Minhyuk looked amused. “Do what?”

Bin gulped. He had to admit what he’d done wrong if he truly wanted forgiveness.

“Well?” Minhyuk asked.

His younger brother looked amused too. It was uncanny, the two of them side-by-side, identical from their haircuts to their smiles to the set of their shoulders to the shoes on their feet. They were probably impossible to tell apart in their school uniforms, especially if they did something devious like swap name tags.

Then Minhyuk craned his neck and said, “Hyung, have you found that flash drive yet?”

“No, not yet, and I feel stupid, because I didn’t make a copy of the video,” Minhyuk replied.

Bin spun around.

There was a  _ third _ Minhyuk.

Identical triplets.

No way. 

And Bin realized - the video on the flash drive. It wasn’t clever video editing. It was the three brothers dancing together.

The third Minhyuk came up short. “H-hey. You. I didn’t expect to see you again.”

“Ha!” the first one said. “So  _ you’re _ the one he knows.”

“You’re Minhyuk?” Bin asked. “The real one?”

He pointed to his name tag. Park Minhyuk. “Yes.”

“What did he do to you, hyung?” the second one asked. “He’s been trying to apologize for two nights in a row.”

Minhyuk blushed. “Oh, it - it wasn’t a big deal. You don’t have to apologize.”

“He gave me a bag of MyChews last night,” the second one said. “Looks like he came with a nicer treat tonight.”

“It was a big deal,” Bin said, and offered him the prettily-wrapped container of cookies. “I shouldn’t have done it, and I’m sorry. Also - also your flash drive is in here. I know it’s yours because I watched the video. Um. You three are amazing dancers.”

“Do you regret it?” the real Minhyuk asked. “What you did?”

Bin nodded vigorously.

“Oh.” The real Minhyuk’s expression dimmed.

Bin sank down to his knees. “Please. Forgive me.”

Minhyuk ducked his head and mumbled something Bin couldn’t hear.

Bin placed the container at the other boy’s feet and bowed low. 

Minhyuk tugged on his shoulder. “No. Don’t. Stop it. Stand up.”

Bin scrambled to his feet. “I’m sorry. I’m embarrassing you. I’ll go -”

“Stop apologizing!”

Bin flinched.

Minhyuk took a deep breath. “I - I liked it.”

Bin blinked. “What?”

“When you kissed me. I liked it. I couldn’t have asked for a better first kiss, so - don’t apologize.”

“It was my first kiss too,” Bin blurted out. And then his brain caught up to his mouth. “Wait, you liked it?”

Minhyuk nodded. “I was hoping I’d see you again, because - I wanted to ask you out.”

_ “Heol,” _ the boy in jeans said. “Minhyuk-hyung finally had his first kiss.”

“Minho?” Minhyuk said without looking at him. 

“Yes, hyung?”

“Get to hagwon. You’re going to be late.”

“So are you,” Minho said, but he started to shuffle away.

“Minseok?”

“Yes, hyung?” The boy in the basketball shorts was radiating amusement.

“Go with him,” Minhyuk said.

“Don’t linger too long,” Minseok said, and he fluttered his fingers at Bin and even  _ winked _ before he sauntered away.

“On the video,” Bin said. “I thought it was really clever editing. The three of you are so perfectly synchronized.”

“We practice hard,” Minhyuk said. “But I don’t want to talk about that. What’s your name?”

“Moon Bin.”

“How old are you?”

“I was born in 1997. You?”

“1999.” Minhyuk smiled. “Will you go out with me?”

Bin’s heart soared. “Yes.”

“Then it’s our Day One.” Minhyuk stepped closer to Bin. “You should kiss me again.”

“I can do that.”

“And give me your phone number.”

“Anything for you.”

“And hurry and get to your actual hagwon.”

Bin, who had his phone out to exchange numbers, saw the time and cursed.

Minhyuk smiled, leaned up on his toes, put his hands on Bin’s shoulders, and kissed him softly on the mouth. Then he took Bin’s phone from him, programmed in his number, and gave it back.

“Go. I’ll text you after,” he said.

Bin pressed the container of cookies into his hand. “Enjoy. For our Day One. Also your flash drive is in there.”

“I’m glad you found it - and that you found me again.” Minhyuk’s smile for Bin was beautiful.

Bin said, “Sometime you should dance with me.”

Minhyuk looked surprised - and pleased. “You dance?”

“Not as well as you, but I hold my own.”

“We’ll definitely dance together in the future. Now go.”

“I’m going,” Bin said. He started toward the bus stop, thought better of it, and caught up with Minhyuk. “Can I kiss you again?”

Minhyuk nodded, so Bin drew him in close and leaned down, kissed him slow and soft and lingering. Then he pulled back. “Happy Day One.”

“If you keep doing that, I’m going to have to kiss you back, and we’re both going to miss hagwon,” Minhyuk said, but he was smiling.

“I really am going,” Bin said. 

As soon as he was at the bus stop, he got his phone out of his pocket so he could send Park Minhyuk a text.

_ Good luck at hagwon! Work hard! _

Then he changed the contact name in his phone to The Real Park Minhyuk.

All the way to hagwon, his heart soared.

*

Bin and Minhyuk traded texts all the way home. Minhyuk and his brothers went to a school pretty far away from the hagwon where Bin took piano lessons, but they were at that hagwon every night because the three of them trained in dance, soccer, and taekwondo together, whereas Bin had his dance hagwon somewhere else.

Minhyuk was the oldest by ten minutes, followed by Minseok, and then Minho fifteen minutes after. That all three of them were identical was some kind of weird science miracle. 

For fun, Minhyuk liked to cook and listen to music.

Bin told Minhyuk about himself, how he had a little sister and he’d helped her adopt a stray kitten even though he was allergic to them (and pollen), and how he also liked cooking in his spare time, and reading webtoons.

They shared their class and hagwon schedules and tried to figure out times when they could see each other in person.

Bin had just unlocked his front door and made it up to his bedroom when his phone rang. He thumbed the screen to answer it.

“Hey,” he said happily, “are you home safe?”

“I was just about to ask you the same thing,” Dongmin said.

Bin paused. “Oh.”

“No need to sound pleased to hear from me,” Dongmin said. “Unless you’re still mad about something I don’t even know I did?”

“No, I’m not. Nothing is your fault or even my fault. I’m just really, really lucky.” Bin sprawled out on his bed with a happy sigh. 

“What’s got you all cheerful? Did you stop by a convenience store for ramyeun on the way home? You know you’re supposed to budget your allowance more carefully,” Dongmin said. 

Now that Bin had a boyfriend to take care of, he’d have to be even more careful. “With friends like you, who needs a mom?”

“Whatever. You need me and you know it. Now, if you really are done being mad at me, you can help me -”

Bin’s phone buzzed with an incoming call. He checked the caller ID. The Real Park Minhyuk. “I’m sorry. I have to go. My boyfriend is calling.”

“Your  _ what?” _ Dongmin spluttered. 

“Bye!” Bin switched calls. “Hey, Minhyuk.”

“Bin,” Minhyuk said. 

There was a weird echo in the background. 

Minhyuk said, “Shut up. I never bother you when you’re on the phone with Yoojung.”

Bin’s phone buzzed with a text message from Dongmin.

_ Since when do you have a boyfriend? _

And then,  _ Heol, is this your Day One? Congratulations! You have to tell me EVERYTHING.  _

And finally,  _ Send pictures. But don’t stay up too late.  _

Bin sent back a smiley emoticon and a  _ Thanks! _ while Minhyuk squabbled with his brothers, and then the weird stereo of two more identical voices faded. 

“Finally, some peace.” Minhyuk sighed. He added, “We all share a room. And clothes. And shoes.”

“Do you ever switch name tags at school?”

“We used to do it all the time in elementary school when we were in the same homeroom, but our teacher caught on and ever since then we’ve always been in different homerooms, and it’s harder to pull off because we don’t all know each other’s classmates’ names and faces.” Minhyuk added, “We’d never pose as each other when we’re dating, though. Minseok only likes girls and I only like boys and - I don’t think Minho really likes anyone, which is probably why he gets the best grades.”

“Good,” Bin said. “Because I only want the real Park Minhyuk. After all the trouble I went through.”

“The cookies were delicious, by the way,” Minhyuk said.

“I’m glad. I worked hard on those.” 

“Why did you kiss me that first day, anyway? I mean, those girls left as soon as you did, so I figured it had something to do with them, but - I’m curious. Why me?”

“Luck, really,” Bin said. “You were there, and you were handsome, and also I could read your name tag, because it would have been really unconvincing if I didn’t know my own boyfriend’s name.”

“So you needed an emergency fake boyfriend. I see. I thought you were just - showing them you like boys or something.”

“Actually, the fact of me liking boys was not to my benefit. I also like girls, and maybe if a girl had showed up I’d have pretended she was my girlfriend.”

“Well, then it was especially lucky,” Minhyuk said. “I got to be Moon Bin’s fake boyfriend.”

“Well, now you’re my real boyfriend.” Bin smiled to himself. His first boyfriend. His first  _ anything. _

“I am.” Minhyuk yawned. “Sorry. Dance practice tonight was pretty brutal. We have a competition coming up.”

“I definitely understand that feeling,” Bin said. “I like hearing your voice, though.”

“Want me to talk to you till you fall asleep?”

“If you don’t fall asleep first. But - yeah, I’d like that.”

“What do you want me to talk about?”

Bin kicked off his socks and set about changing into his pajamas and brushing his teeth. He could shower in the morning. “Anything.”

“Let me tell you about the dance we’re doing.”

Bin turned off the light, plugged his phone into its charger, and snuggled under his covers. “Yes. I want to hear about that.”

“Well, you saw the teaser video, it’s a cover of an Usher song…”

Bin fell asleep, and he dreamed of the day he’d get to share the stage with his boyfriend.

(He nearly had a heart attack the next morning due to a very loud call from Dongmin, because his phone was right next to his ear, but it was worth it.)

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this](https://youtu.be/SD4uBJ-8ES8) video of Rocky dancing, which I'm sure you've all seen.


End file.
